The Human Intervention by Beastman

Exhibition Essay

Earth as we know it is an incredibly structured and harmonious network of interconnected systems that have slowly developed over the last 4.5 billion years or so. From the smallest bacteria to the largest of oceans, all life on Earth has one common ancestor. Everything is connected to everything. So how is it that our species has come to dominate our planet? And more so, what gives us the right to do so?

The ability for humans to manipulate the landscape and recognise the consequences of doing so puts us in a peculiar position. As a species, we are assigned the purpose to provide and procreate. Our common goal is to achieve stability for ourselves and our kin. However, to accomplish balance we must maintain the environment, as we depend on its cycles and resources to cultivate the bare necessities we require for survival. And so, the question then becomes: what is the future of nature?

In his latest work, Brad Eastman (Beastman) depicts the potential future of Earth through a series of formulated painterly systems; balancing geometry, measurement, movement and colour to create symbolic contemporary landscapes. The work takes on an aerial viewpoint, looking down upon the human intervention, allowing us to consider the complex interplay of nature alongside the man-made, to creatively observe the consequences of our actions.

Through his latest collection ‘The Human Intervention’, Beastman does not seek to answer the question of our role in nature instead, he invokes enquiry through the considered composition of key shapes and lines that resemble the manipulation of natural landscapes and environments. So that the question remains: what is the future of nature?

Beastman, Bradley Eastman

Beastman (Bradley Eastman) is a multidisciplinary artist from Sydney, Australia.

One of the most distinctive and prolific emerging contemporary artists from Australia, Beastman has exhibited his artworks extensively around the world, has curated and organised numerous international art exhibitions and projects, and has been commissioned by the likes of Element, Facebook, Vivid Sydney, Mini, Apple, Westfield, Red Bull, Stockland, Hyundai and more. His artwork was recently acquired by the National Gallery of Australia, and his large solo and collaborative mural works can be found all over Australia and around the world.